Category Archives: Writing&Talking

January 11, 2012, 2:51 pm

The Rise of the Learner Experience Librarian

I’m excited to finally be collaborating with Char Booth. We’ve been seeking a project for several years now and finally found one in the form of an invited paper and co-presentation at CARL 2012.

This is our venture:

Understanding the Learner Experience: Threshold Concepts and Curriculum Mapping
In order to improve library instruction, we need to develop a richer understanding of the holistic learning and teaching experience of our institutions. Threshold concepts are core ideas in a particular area or discipline that, once understood, transform perceptions of that subject. Curriculum mapping is a method of visualizing insight into the courses, requirements, and progressions a learner negotiates as they pass through a particular department or degree. When understood and applied in tandem, these strategies provide a powerful means of developing actionable insight into the learner…

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October 31, 2011, 5:16 pm

Last Column for American Libraries (and other writing projects)

By Brian Mathews

My last column for American Libraries is out. I pitched the column together with a book back in summer 2009. I remember drafting the email on my phone in an airport during a layover. I’m grateful that ALA took a chance on it.

The series was intended to run three years, but I felt it was hard to sustain after two. You can only profile so many “inspiring” libraries before it becomes mundane. That’s sort of how I feel about Movers & Shakers but that’s more of a dinner conversation at ALA. I’ve very happy with the diversity of the libraries that I interviewed, but this was a good place to stop.

The book and column were intended to support each other, however, the book drifted in a different direction and hit all types of snags. The column has been fun, but it started to feel like a chore rather than an expression and so I knew I had to let it go. Before American …

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July 21, 2010, 8:42 am

Book and a Baby: life update

By Brian Mathews

I’ve hinted at writing another book. Now it’s official. I
signed a contract with ALA Editions. The manuscript is due to them in January
2012. The first one
was a growth experience because it really pushed me to think differently on how
I viewed my job and the library profession.

In terms of size and commitment… obviously there is a big
difference between writing a 5,000-word article and a 55,000-word book. But
it’s more than length—it’s sustaining a concept, building a story, and
hopefully leaving people with positive ideas. I really wanted to capture a
particular emotion (excitement) and for the most part I think that worked out.

Contractually, it was a marketing book, but I wanted to
project my public service orientation, especially in the epilogue. To me– that
book was more about interacting with students rather than “marketing” advice.

The new book has been…